1. Harvey Brownstone was born on July 24,1956 and is a retired judge of the Ontario Court of Justice and the first openly gay judge in Canada.
35 Facts About Harvey Brownstone
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Harvey Brownstone is a bestselling author and host of a television and internet talk show.
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Harvey Brownstone's father, Sam Brownstone, was the director of the Hamilton Jewish Community Centre for many years, and his mother, Odette Brownstone, owned "Odette de Paris", a highly successful French ladies' wear business.
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Harvey Brownstone attended Adelaide Hoodless Elementary School and Scott Park Secondary School and received his LL.
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Harvey Brownstone was instrumental in the creation and implementation of two important support enforcement tools: support deduction orders and the suspension of defaulting support payors' drivers licences, making Ontario the first jurisdiction in Canada to introduce these highly effective support enforcement mechanisms.
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Harvey Brownstone served on the Toronto Mayor's Committee on Community and Race Relations from 1990 to 1993, and chaired the first Subcommittee on Gay Issues.
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Harvey Brownstone was appointed a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice on March 13,1995, making him the first openly gay judge in Canada.
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Harvey Brownstone has presided in both criminal court and family court.
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Harvey Brownstone served as Local Administrative Judge of the Toronto Metro West Family Court from 1999 to 2001 and then served as Local Administrative Judge of the Toronto North Family Court from 2001 to 2006.
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In 2006 Justice Harvey Brownstone was instrumental in persuading the Court Services Division of the Ministry of the Attorney General to hire a full-time staff mediator at the newly merged Family Court.
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In December 2013, Justice Harvey Brownstone began presiding exclusively in the criminal court in Ontario.
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Justice Harvey Brownstone was on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Family Law Judges Association from 1995 to 1999, and on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Conference of Judges from 1999 to 2002.
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Harvey Brownstone was a member of the Ontario Family Rules Committee from 1991 to 1994 and again from 1999 to 2011.
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In 1997 Justice Harvey Brownstone gave a groundbreaking speech at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, decrying the plight of the thousands of self-represented litigants appearing in Family Court, and urging the Law School and legal community to provide services to these vulnerable clients.
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Justice Harvey Brownstone is featured in a widely distributed promotional video celebrating the important work done by Pro Bono Students Canada.
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Justice Harvey Brownstone is regularly called upon to speak at events organized by Pro Bono Students Canada and is considered an important spokesperson and ally for Pro Bono Student programs at law schools throughout Canada.
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On May 13,2016 Justice Harvey Brownstone was presented with a Pro Bono Students Canada Supporter Award at the organization's 20th-anniversary gala dinner held at the Law Society of Upper Canada's Convocation Hall.
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In 2008 Justice Harvey Brownstone was awarded "Best Behind-the-Scenes Champion" by the readers of Xtra Magazine.
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On June 14,2008, at New York City Hall, Justice Harvey Brownstone was presented with a Proclamation signed by New York State Senator Thomas Duane, in recognition of Harvey Brownstone's role in having officiated at hundreds of same-sex weddings for New York citizens who travelled to Toronto to get married.
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In 2011, Harvey Brownstone contributed a chapter highlighting Ontario's case management system in a book entitled "Innovations for Self-Represented Litigants" published in the United States by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.
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Harvey Brownstone is the recipient of two Distinguished Alumni Awards from Queen's University Faculty of Law, making him the only alumnus of Queen's University Law School to receive two Distinguished Alumni Awards.
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Harvey Brownstone is highly respected within the LGBT community because he was the first openly gay judge appointed in Canada, and is frequently called upon to speak at events within that community.
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In October 2020, Justice Harvey Brownstone hosted a 5-part podcast series entitled Examination in Chief, which examines the ways in which the criminal justice system impacts people in the LGBTQ community.
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In 2021, Brownstone launched his own internet talk show entitled Harvey Brownstone Interviews, consisting of a YouTube channel, website and podcast channel featuring interviews with celebrities and authors.
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Harvey Brownstone has featured many legendary celebrities on his talk show including Robert Wagner, Louis Gossett Jr.
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In July 2023, Breakfast at Dominique's Coffee Company launched a new "Harvey Brownstone Talk Show Blend" coffee in honor of Brownstone's groundbreaking legal career and to celebrate the success of his interview program.
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Harvey Brownstone frequently appears as a guest on popular podcasts, and television shows, and is featured in media print articles.
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In January 2024, Harvey Brownstone was featured on the Worldwide Entertainment News list of the celebrities to watch in 2024.
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Harvey Brownstone has published a best-selling book, Tug of War, on family law and divorce.
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In 2010, Brownstone hosted an online talk show entitled Family Matters with Justice Harvey Brownstone which was the first talk show ever hosted by a sitting Canadian judge.
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Justice Harvey Brownstone donated all of his time for free, paid for his own travel and hotel accommodations, and earned no remuneration for his participation in this program.
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In 2020, Justice Harvey Brownstone reactivated his media presence by returning to broadcast television and online streaming programming as a legal resource and interviewer.
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Harvey Brownstone has spoken publicly and written about the role he played in officiating at this monumentally important wedding.
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Justice Harvey Brownstone has written a brief memoir reflecting on his experiences as Canada's first openly gay judge and his role in the legal evolution of same-sex marriage in Chapter 1 of LGBTQ2+ Law: Practice Issues and Analysis.
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On June 5,2023, Harvey Brownstone was chosen to officially launch Pride Month in New York City, with a special event at the Stonewall Inn, home of the birth of the Gay Liberation Movement.